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All along the narrow, two-lane highway that stretches from the Ukrainian border through Moldova’s wine country, little white tents have sprung up at the turn-offs to vineyards or alongside petrol stations in recent days.
Manned by Moldovans proffering free cups of hot tea, sandwiches and sweets to passing cars crammed full of refugees, they are part of the overwhelming response Europe’s poorest country has mustered to help those fleeing the war next door.
Despite lacking the financial support of EU membership or the security of Nato allyship, Moldova has taken in nearly 350,000 refugees, a higher number per capita than any other European nation since the war began nearly three weeks ago.
The government has organised a massive triage centre in the capital Chisinau, staffed by an army of volunteers, while all around the country Moldovans have donated their time, means and even their own homes to support the effort.
But not everyone feels such warmth towards Moldova’s new arrivals.
As is common in conflict, the first to flee are often those who can most easily afford to leave, and Chisinau’s streets are now brimming with SUVs and European luxury cars sporting Odesa plates.
These vehicles would be well beyond the means of most Moldovans, some of whom watched as well-dressed women and men arrived at a chic downtown cafe for the free meal being offered to refugees.
“You kind of feel uneasy about it, seeing someone in a Lexus getting a free lunch,” said Tatiana Agarcova, an accountant in Chisinau. She feels the influx of wealthy Ukrainians has stoked Moldova’s internal tension around its Soviet past and Russian-speaking minority, to which she belongs.
Though many Moldovans are bilingual, speaking both Romanian and Russian, language plays a large part in the uneasiness around the war.
Since 1992, a group of Russian-backed separatists have claimed a narrow strip of land on the country’s eastern border, known as Transnistria, as their own. Though the region is not internationally recognised, even by Moscow, which supports it financially and has 1,500 troops stationed there ostensibly for peacekeeping, many worry if the war progresses to Ukraine’s western border, Transnistria could be President Putin’s next target.
At a market in Causeni, the city nearest to the border, a vendor posted a sign, handwritten in Russian, at his booth of a Karl Marx quote: “He who doesn’t know the language of the country he is in is either a guest, an idiot or an occupier, planting the seeds of his own tongue.”
But most who are frustrated by some of the country’s newcomers see resources as the problem, rather than language. Moldova buys much of its grain, produce and meat from Ukraine and is bracing for a crisis for its own people as imports of those commodities are cut by war.
Masha Kinas, a pilates instructor and social media influencer in Chisinau, who spent the first week of the war ferrying families from the border, took to Instagram to vent her frustration at those she perceived as entitled guests.
“You do know that Moldova isn’t exactly the world’s richest country,” she wrote. “Yet our people are picking you up in their own cars to take you from the border into their own houses and feed you from their own refrigerators … and you without a hint of gratitude.”
Others took to TikTok to point out bad behaviour. “Moldovans are giving you their last piece of bread,” one young man said in a video. “If you don’t like it, go back where you came from.”
Still, Ms Agarcova, the accountant, feels that the crisis will only worsen if people build animosity towards each other. “Thirty years ago, no one was a Moldovan or a Ukrainian or a Russian. We were people, we were children. We still are. That’s what we need to remember.”
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5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,400m
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Essentials
The flights
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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if you go
The flights
Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes.
The hotels
The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).
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The five pillars of Islam
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Evacuations to France hit by controversy
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- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
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Where to donate in the UAE
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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Rating: 5/5
Company%20profile
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